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Agriculture

USDA to open program enrollment

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced several Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP through June 6, 2025. CRP, USDA’s flagship conservation program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree ...

Snyder County to hold a June 5 Manure Management Plan workshop

MIDDLEBURG — Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection (DEP) regulations require any operation or entity that raises or boards animals, produces or receives animal manure, regardless of animal type (equine, poultry, livestock, exotic animals, etc.) or animal number have a manure management plan (MMP). Recently, DEP has developed a simpler MMP version for very small operations. The Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) will hold a free workshop for small operations to learn about how to complete the simpler MMP version. The one-hour workshop is set for Thursday, June ...

Students attend Farm City Day in Harrisburg

HARRISBURG — The Shapiro Administration welcomed more than 1,300 K-8 students and educators from across southcentral Pennsylvania to the PA Farm Show Complex on May 7 for hands-on agriculture career exploration during 2025 Farm City Day. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding toured career exhibits with Acting Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe and students learning firsthand about careers ranging from dairy farming and beekeeping to sustainable forestry, and technology making our planet and food healthier. “Agriculture today is not what it was at the beginning of this century, or ...

Bentz crowned Juniata County Dairy Princess

MEXICO — Kera Bentz, of Richfield, was crowned the 2025-26 Juniata County Dairy Princess on Sunday, May 4, at the Walker Grange, Mexico, Pa. She was crowned by the Pennsylvania Alternate Dairy Princess, Sadie Innerest. Innerest also had some encouraging and motivational comments for the dairy court. Bentz is the 19-year-old daughter of Karen Bentz of Richfield. She has been involved with the Juniata County Dairy Promotion team for six years as she started in 2019 as a dairy maid. Kera is currently attending De’rielle cosmetology school in Millerstown where she will graduate as a ...

USDA participates in targeted SNAP benefit fraud operations

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with Federal law enforcement partners, conducted operations in early May to target criminals engaged in defrauding American taxpayers by stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. “Fraud will not be tolerated by the Trump Administration. I want to thank our hardworking law enforcement officers who work every day to ensure federal benefits are properly distributed and safeguard taxpayer dollars from criminals,” said Secretary Rollins. “President Trump is restoring law ...

USDA announces new state directors for Farm Service Agency

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced the latest slate of presidential appointments for key Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development (RD) State Director roles. “When America’s farming communities prosper, the entire nation thrives. This new group of USDA appointees will ensure President Trump’s America First agenda is a reality in rural areas across the country. I am grateful for the leadership of these new state directors and look forward to their work reorienting the agency to put Farmers First again,” said Secretary Rollins. FSA ...